The points of issue
Charles Scribner's Sons imprint with the 1978 copyright and no later-printing or additional-printing notice on the copyright page. By the late 1970s Scribner had moved to a number-line convention, so a first printing shows the printer/number-line sequence for the first state rather than any later-printing line. Dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap. Illustrated octavo.
Is this the true first?
The US Scribner 1978 edition is the true first; Lopez's National Book Award-nominated study. Identify the first printing by the Scribner imprint, the 1978 copyright with no statement of a later printing, and a priced jacket.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are smaller and lighter, typically carry a blind-stamped board, and have an unpriced jacket. The trade first is distinguished by the priced jacket and the absence of any book-club markings, not by a single letter point.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Of Wolves and Men a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Charles Scribner's Sons imprint with the 1978 copyright and no later-printing or additional-printing notice on the copyright page. By the late 1970s Scribner had moved to a number-line convention, so a first printing shows the printer/number-line sequence for the first state rather than any later-printing line. Dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap. Illustrated octavo.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Scribner 1978 edition is the true first; Lopez's National Book Award-nominated study. Identify the first printing by the Scribner imprint, the 1978 copyright with no statement of a later printing, and a priced jacket.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions are smaller and lighter, typically carry a blind-stamped board, and have an unpriced jacket. The trade first is distinguished by the priced jacket and the absence of any book-club markings, not by a single letter point.
I have a first edition of Of Wolves and Men — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.